Unwanted Visitors
by Zeralu
Summary: Four sinister shadows lurk within the territories around the lake, sending the clans into turmoil. With StarClan's promise of peace shattered, how will the clans react in the face of this new danger? CONTAINS CANNIBALISM. You have been warned.
1. The Blame Game

_**Author's Note**__: Rewriting! I have had some people email and message me asking for me to continue this story, so I'm going to try to make a couple people happy. I've been rereading the series lately and I decided that this was a good time as ever to get this going. This is a revised version of the first chapter and I've begun work on the second chapter, after which I will begin work on writing the third chapter. _

_And as a note, this was set before The Power of Three was released, so I know the issues with Squirrelflight and the kits, but I do nooooot care. There will be spoilers for people who have not started past the Power of Three series as I will be picking some events that happen and are revealed to use within this story. And, with that said, here we go._

_XxX_

Gentle starlight glittered across Moonpool as star-dusted paws padded heavily across the well-worn ground, cats slowly filing into the hollow as though none wanted to be there to discuss what hung in the air. Pelts began to bristle as starry eyes stared in shock at the glittering pool, watching five shadowy shapes dart through its reflection. The room filled with wails and hisses as four of the shapes circled and turned on the fifth, swarming until it seemed to become one large, writhing mass in the reflection.

"How can this happen? These creatures, these vile creatures should not exist," whispered a blue-furred she cat, her eyes glittered with horror as she watched four shapes step away from their prey, the fifth shadow lying motionless between them.

A wail echoed through the hollow and many cats lowered their heads as the grieving queen watched as the reflection of the kit from her first litter was swarmed by three of the still standing shadows, the largest of the four settling a distance away. The mournful keening continued coupled with other hushed mewls of sorrow. A young tortoiseshell she-cat stepped next to the pained she-cat, brushing her tail soothingly across her shoulder as she solemnly watched the reflection before them before turning her soft gaze to the cat who spoke before.

"Our promise of peace means nothing, now. There was no way that we could have foreseen this, no cat could have. There is nothing we can do, Bluestar, we must leave this in the paws of the Clans," she mewled, turning her attention to the black and white tom as he leapt to his paws, fur bristling as his long tail lashed angrily.

"Is there nothing we can do? I refuse to stand by and watch these monsters slaughter my clan!" he snarled, yowls of agreement echoed through the cave as other star-furred warriors clawed at the ground.

They silenced at the caterwaul of an older she-cat, her yellow eyes sourly scanned her clanmates as she drew her lip back in distaste. She heaved herself to her paws, her unkempt gray fur moved thickly across her old muscles as she padded to the lip of the pool, eyes softening with sadness as she bowed her head, her rasping mew whispering through the stones.

"There is nothing we can do, Tallstar. All we can do is watch and pray for our clans."

_XxX_

Cats wearily stumbled through the thick brambles that protected the entrance to the ThunderClan camp, cats separating as some made their way to the meager fallen-leaf stricken fresh-kill pile, others padding slowly towards the dens for rest. Dawn patrol reported to Firestar in his den on Highledge where he'd been sitting with Brambleclaw, speaking in low murmurs. The large tabby flicked his ears at the patrol in greeting and stepped to the entrance to let the patrol speak.

"We met a ShadowClan patrol at the border. Those mangy fools attacked us, but they called us murderers and kidnappers before charging." Dustpelt sighed, seeming to favor his left hind leg as a trickle of blood seeped from his flanks. Berrypaw and Spiderleg mumbled agreement, scratches riddling their haunches and shoulders. Firestar nodded in understanding, sweeping his tail around to curl over his paws as shoulders tensed.

"I figured this, thank you for dealing with them. Please go to Leafpool and let her see about that wound and get some rest." Firestar ordered, twitching his whiskers to dismiss them as he sank into deep thought. Dustpelt dipped his head in response and limped to Leafpool's den with the other two following slowly behind.

"Firestar, your fox trap wound has not healed yet and Twolegs are slowly coming closer and closer to the camp and ShadowClan is only adding to our issues. We have got to do something about them soon." Brambleclaw hissed, his tail tip twitched with annoyance as he thought of their neighboring clan. His own sister lived in the clan, but he could not overlook the dark hearted warriors that resided in the forest with them for her.

In the past moon, ShadowClan had become extremely hostile towards ThunderClan. Every day, cats reported ShadowClan attempts to extend borders, creating the need for a constant guard patrol. With every patrol, more and more cats returned with scars and weary minds.

"Yes, but tonight is the night of the Gathering. We will discuss their actions at that time, but nothing else. I do not want a single claw raised in retaliation against them unless it is to protect the clan or the borders. For now, please pick the cats to attend the Gathering, but be sure to leave a few warriors in the camp. We can't trust leaving the camp unguarded." Firestar mewed as he pawed at the ground, returning to his deep thoughts as Brambleclaw slipped from the den and into the clearing.

"Cloudtail, will you gather Thornclaw, Brackenfur, Birchfall, Brightheart, Cinderpaw, Molepaw, and Whitepaw? We'll be setting out for the Gathering soon." Brambleclaw meowed as he passed the white warrior at the fresh kill pile, pausing for a moment as his eyes flickered to the gray warrior sprawled in a sunny patch of the clearing. "Ashfur too, by the way, tell him to attend, as well." He meowed before stalking towards the nursery to see his. Squirrelflight was currently nestled inside, her round belly a tell-tale sign of her soon-to-be kitting. Her tail curled with delight as he entered, giving a warm purr as she brushed her muzzle against his. He wouldn't admit it, but he didn't want to leave the blue-eyed warrior in camp with her after he had so freely showed vehemence towards him and his mate.

"I wish I could go with all of you, I'd give that mouse-brained Blackstar a piece of my mind." She growled, nudging her mate indignantly as he purred in amusement.

"We know; that's exactly why we're making you stay here." He purred, twining his tail with her dark ginger one. Leaning into her warm pelt for several heartbeats, he finally gave a weary sigh and mewed farewell, slipping through the sharp brambles tendrils that protected the nursery.

He passed Berrypaw as he slid from the medicine cat's den, giving his apprentice a warm praise for his act in the dawn patrol. Berrypaw's eyes sparkled as Brambleclaw gave the young cat a knowing smile, twitching his tail towards where Firestar was gathering his warriors. Berrypaw grinned, bouncing over to where Whitepaw stood next to Cloudtail, fluffing out his chest as he excitedly detailed the early morning scuffle with ShadowClan.

Firestar caught Brambleclaw's eye and waited till his deputy stood beside him before raising his tail to signal for the patrol to shuffle through the thorn encased entrance. Cats cast wary glances in the direction of ShadowClan as a stiff breeze carried the hostile clan's scent towards them, tails fluffing out and pelts prickling with unease as they padded beneath the familiar leaves of the forest.

Firestar led the patrol through WindClan territory this time, just to keep it safe.

XxX

The tree bridge loomed over the cats as they reached the crossing point to the Gathering. Firestar nimbly leapt onto the gnarled trunk of the old tree, weaving his way through the branches as his clan slowly filed after him. Brambleclaw nosed his young apprentice up into the branches, following closely behind. They hopped nimbly from the tree bridge to the island; making their way briskly in the clearing within the center of the island.

The thick tension sunk its claws deep into each ThunderClan cat's pelt as they settled with RiverClan and WindClan friends, purposefully avoiding any ShadowClan warriors. Brambleclaw glanced around the clearing, catching Tawnypelt's eye from where she sat with her clanmate, Rowanclaw. The fur on her shoulders prickled as they held each other's gaze, but she still nodded a warm greeting to her brother. A creeping sensation tickled up his spine at his sister's behavior, noting the other ShadowClan warriors and apprentices shooting fearful glances at the ThunderClan warriors, eyes glittering with open hostility as the cats milled about. Littlecloud was one of the few along with Tawnypelt that didn't hiss at the passing ThunderClan warriors, but he couldn't help but notice the uneasy glance the ShadowClan medicine cat gave Leafpool as she bounded towards him and the other medicine cats.

As the leaders leapt into the tree branches and the deputy's settled at the roots, every cat felt wary.

"Cats of all clans," Firestar began, "StarClan have brought us here again beneath the light of the full moon. Onestar, will you begin?"

"Thank you, Firestar." Onestar dipped his head, padding forward to balance on the largest branch as he addressed the gathered cats. "Hunting goes well in WindClan territory, the rabbits run bountiful and our warriors are as strong as ever with the full bellies. We are also proud to announce the arrival of new life; a strong son borne from Nightcloud and Crowfeather." He meowed, pausing at the chorus of mews that rang through to congratulate the gray-black warrior that sat stiffly in the clearing.

Brambleclaw couldn't help but notice the pained expression that shook Leafpool and Crowfeather's quick glance towards her before she bowed her head, wrapping her tail tightly around her paws. No cat within WindClan or ThunderClan had forgotten the cats' attempt to run from the clans in moons past, their desperate attempt to sate their forbidden love for each other by abandoning their homes to be with one another. However, the two quickly returned after running into Midnight with her grave warning of a vicious badger attack that was ripping apart the ThunderClan camp at that moment and had vowed to never see each other again.

Onestar's eyes flickered between the two before bowing his head with the end of his report and returning to his branch with Leopardstar, who took his place with a neat leap.

"RiverClan has also fared well in the past moon. The streams and lake are alive with fish and the Twolegs have kept a fair distance from the camp. The Twoleg poison from our territory has been cleansed away and all of our warriors are strong and healthy." She meowed, casting a pointed gaze across the cats below her as she emphasized the strength of her warriors before returning to her place beside Onestar. Firestar padded onto the branch, raising his head proudly as he began the report.

"Prey within the forest runs strong and my wound from the fox trap is nearly healed. I am proud to announce that my daughter, Squirrelflight, and Brambleclaw are expecting strong kits to arrive soon." He nodded at his deputy, who lifted his head and gave his chest a few good licks to hide his pride.

"I am also proud to announce four new apprentices; Molepaw, Honeypaw, Poppypaw, and Cinderpaw!" Firestar meowed as Cinderpaw and Molepaw puffed out their chests and with purrs of excitement. Cats cheered the apprentice's names before turning back to the ThunderClan leader. Firestar gazed proudly at the two apprentices before his face turned grim, eyes flitting towards Blackstar. The fur along his shoulders bristled angrily as the ShadowClan leader curled his lip at his gaze. "There are disturbances within the clan, however, our patrols along the ShadowClan border-"

He was cut short as Blackstar shoved his way onto the branch, knocking Firestar off balance. Firestar's hind legs slipped from the branch, his forepaws scrabbled at the branched as he yowled in fury, heaving himself to the branch as angry caterwauls erupted from the clearing below. Firestar arched his back in anger, spitting furiously at the ShadowClan leader as the large white warrior lashed his tail across his muzzle. Onestar leapt onto the branch, maneuvering himself between Firestar and Blackstar as he whispered quickly into Firestar's ear.

The flame-pelted warrior's back relaxed, but his ears remained flat against his head as the fur across his shoulders rippled with anger. He whipped around, stalking angrily back to his branch as Onestar settled beside his old friend, casting Firestar wary glances as the legendary warrior's eyes danced with a feral light. Brambleclaw willed his own fur to smooth back over his shoulders, but hissed in anger as he glanced at Russetfur's smug expression as she spat at him.

"Time is hard for ShadowClan. Prey is plentiful, but Twolegs are still prowling around our territory. I am afraid to report that there have also been…disappearances. Warriors and apprentices of our clan have disappeared from our camp. We thought that perhaps the Twolegs prowling within our territory were perhaps capturing them, however," At this point, the black-pawed leader shot a disgusted glare at Firestar, ignoring the fiery cats savage hiss, "we have found bodies, if we could even still call them that. Every cat that we have found have been ripped open and _eaten_. In the beginning, we thought that a pack of foxes had settled in our territory, but around every cat's body was a _ThunderClan_ scent." He spat at Firestar, the fur on his neck bristling.

"How dare you, you fox-hearted _liar_!" Cloudtail yowled, his white fur bristling and the tailed fluffed out to double his size, causing every cat near him to scramble away from the warrior in fear. "You low-life, crow-food eating rat! How dare you accuse us of cannibalism!"

"I don't see what else it could be!" Rowanclaw hissed, leaping to his paws as Tawnypelt lowered her eyes to her paws next to him. Rage rippled through the clearing as ThunderClan and ShadowClan warriors yowled at one another. RiverClan and WindClan cats scrambled to the edge of the clearing, their eyes wide with surprise and fear at the fearsome warriors that bristled in the center of the clearing. Cloudtail snarled with rage as he leapt towards Russetfur, claws glinting in the moonlight as the two cats fell into a screeching tumble of fur and teeth. Firestar's caterwaul ripped through the air, causing every cat to freeze as it echoed through the island with the anger and power of a warrior of the ancient LionClan. It was then that the cats in the clearing noticed the dark, heavy clouds that screened the moon.

"Stop this! ThunderClan has not and will never resort to cannibalism. I can swear this upon my remaining lives as a leader that we would never resort to something as lowly as devouring cats from another clan, even if we didn't have a mouse tail to split between the entire clan." Firestar meowed darkly, his voice daring some cat to speak against him as his tail lashed angrily. He shot Blackstar a crippling glare before raking his claws through the branch that he stood on before waving his bristling tail and glanced up towards the covered moon, every cat flinching as a fearsome crack of thunder shook the trees surrounding the clearing. "This Gathering is over, StarClan has spoken."

Brambleclaw stood next to the tree as his leader landed neatly next to him from the branches. Every cat hurried quickly through the island as the thunder crashed again, roiling clouds spreading to cover the wide grounds of Silverpelt above them. Harsh, menacing shadows stretched across the ground as lightning cracked through the sky, sending cats skittering across the tree-bridge as StarClan shook the earth in their anger.

No cat, however, noticed the four shadows crouched within the darkness of the tree branches surrounding the clearing, their eyes glinting dangerously with every flash of lightning.

XXxXx

"I told you that you should have cleaned your meals more neatly. 'Go put them in the lake!' I said, 'Don't leave them just laying around!' I told you. But you wouldn't listen!" A lean, dark tom hissed furiously. His black fur glittered darkly in the moonlight, gray chest fur glowing silver in the full moon's cast after the clouds had shifted away. The muscles in his long spider-like legs rippled as he narrowed his eyes at the she-cat that paced before him; his white eye glinting dangerously behind the thick, gray scar that marred the right side of his face, matching the same angry fire that glittered in his unscarred black eye.

The dark mottled she-cat hissed at the larger cat as he raised a massive paw, ignoring his wickedly curved claws that gleamed like tiger claws in the moonlight. She dashed towards the large cat, rearing back onto her hind legs as she leapt past the raised paw, shoving the warriors scarred face into her thick chest fur as she bit into his ear with lightning-fast reflexes, batting his face and neck with sheathed claws as the larger cat sat stunned at her speed. She leapt back, skipping skillfully backwards on her paws as he swung his still-clawed paw towards her. She stood tall on her hind legs, forepaws tucked defensively against her stomach as she bared her teeth with a warning hiss.

Her thick, heavy tail lashed behind her as she twitched her whiskers at him, hissing her anger with slitted eyes. "Shut your mouth, or else I will give your stupid face another scar, you damn pussycat! I don't listen to the likes of you, so don't you dare think you can talk down to me like I'm a kit."

"Well, maybe if you stopped acting like a kit and dispose of your meals _properly_, then perhaps I would treat you with a little more respect." He hissed, taking a step towards the mottled cat, hissing as she leapt towards him yowling. He crouched as she launched herself over onto his back, tumbling over in a twist in an attempt to dislodge the spitting she-cat, but even under his extreme weight, she clung onto his pelt as she yelled every obscenity she could think of.

"Mother, Father, please! Shadowhorse is falling asleep and, perhaps instead of standing here yowling like thick-skulled mongrels, we should find a nice badger set or something to settle in for the night and you may continue your fight there, _outside_ of our sight." A younger gray tom snapped, glancing towards his twin sister as she drifted uneasily on the mossy ground, narrowing his dark violet eyes at the older cats. He did not flinch as the dark brown she-cat whirled on him.

"I told you before, you pathetic excuse for a cat; I am not you bloody mother. Your mother had enough sense to leave you two cretins before you were old enough to glue yourselves to her side. He may be your father, but I was stupid enough to stick around to keep you two alive while this idiot struggled to feed himself." She hissed darkly before turning on her paws to stalk away into the undergrowth. The young gray cat stood staring at where she had disappeared for a moment before turning to glare at his father.

"Icetail, couldn't you make her mad _after_ we'd settled somewhere to sleep? Now Rockfire's is going to be jittery the entire night and we will have to be the ones to listen to." He snapped, turning to pat his sister on the stomach to wake her. Icetail simply scowled, shaking his massive head as he let out a frustrated sigh.

"Do not blame me, Shadowbat. Rockfire has a temper worse than any cat I've ever seen. Besides, she'll cool down after a while. Then she'll her usual cold self again." He stated distastefully, curling his lip at the direction the mottled cat had disappeared before following the raging cat through the forest. Shadowbat roused his sister to her paws, ignoring her sleepy hiss as she narrowed crimson eyes at her brother before padding tiredly after their father.

"Fine, as long as we find some peace for the night. I'm rather getting hungry as well, but I think we should let those cats calm down before we try anything. I can settle for these foul little creatures creeping through the forest." Shadowbat said, snorting as his father shook his head. His father didn't eat the way they did and couldn't understand their disgust with mice and squirrels. He had a taste for something much more filling, something that Rockfire had sustained he and his sister with when they had been pitiful mewling scraps, forced to starvation when their father had failed to properly feed them. She had presented them with a constant source of food, a source them with days-worth of food as long as the catch was good.

After all, you always feel hungrier after a fight of tooth and claw.


	2. The Shadows

_**Author's Note:**__ Here is the second chapter, rewritten and hopefully improved! I know there are some improvements because after reading through, I noticed that I kept calling Ashfur AshPELT. You can't begin to imagine how embarrassed I am!_

_Reviews are loved, tell me what you think!_

XxXxX

Morning birds had just begun their dawn chirpings when Brambleclaw roused himself within his mossy nest. He stood carefully, stretching with a yawn as he glanced around at the sleeping cats within the warriors den. Carefully picking his way through the maze of slumbering warriors, he stepped from the warm den groggily, shaking his thick tabby pelt before giving his chest a few swift licks to remove a few scraps of moss that had clung to his pelt. The sun was slowly climbing into the sky, ushering the glittering stretch of Silverpelt away and bringing with it the duties of the day.

It had been little over a quarter moon since the violent Gathering and ShadowClan had begun to keep to themselves, though the occasional border scuffle had broken out. The dark warriors had long-since stopped their attempts to extend their borders and had instead settled to marking their borders multiple times every day. It was a relief for the border patrols who did not have to worry about losing fur each time they were sent out, but the aggressive actions still kept the clan wary.

Brambleclaw settled himself beneath Highledge, watching the sky as the dawn slowly spread, casting deliciously warm rays down to warm his fur. It was rare that he awoke this early, but he would regard his early risings as a treat. These times gave him the chance to warm himself in the first light of the day as he soaked in the comfortable silence of the hollow.

After a few moments of enjoying the early light, he heard the tell-tale rustles of awakening cats coming from the dens. Sandstorm slipped from the den, lifting her muzzle and tasting the early morning. She sighted him, giving the deputy a friendly whisker twitch before she settled for a quick wash, preparing herself for the dawn patrol. More rustles came from the dens as other cats that he had chosen for the dawn patrol began to awaken. Birchfall slipped from the den, giving himself a good shake before trotting briskly to the entrance to the camp. Hushed mews sounded from the tunnel before Sorreltail padded into the camp, relieved from her guard duty. She slipped into the warriors den for rest, nodding to cats as they passed her.

Honeypaw pranced from the apprentice den, shaking excitedly as she bounded towards Sandstorm. Her mentor gave her ear an affectionate lick, obviously fond of the animated apprentice. The two turned as Molepaw and Spiderleg emerged before they took off through the tunnel to begin their patrol. Dustpelt appeared from the den as well, turning to wait as Ashfur appeared as well. Dustpelt dipped his head in greeting as the two cats passed Brambleclaw, but it was all he could do to ignore the frosty glare Ashfur shot at him before the two left the clearing. He could only guess what the two warriors were off to, but he wasn't too concerned if Dustpelt was involved. For all the warrior's foul attitude, Brambleclaw knew the tom was loyal and trustful.

Brambleclaw sighed, heaving himself to his paws. Making his way to the nursery, he could only shake his head at the thoughts of the thick-skulled warrior as he slipped through the bramble thicket of the nursery. He didn't know why the blue-eyed tom couldn't give up grudges and just move on.

Ducking into the nursery, he carefully padded past a still-sleeping Daisy as he made his way to his mate. He settled in the nest beside Squirrelflight, drinking in her warm, comforting scent as she purred at his arrival. They shared a few hushed mews before he left her with an affectionate lick, pushing his way through the brambles back into the clearing. It was outside of the warm, milky den that he could feel the rising panic.

Dustpelt was pelting through the clearing, his eyes wild and frantic with hysteria as his jaws gaped in a strangled yowl. Leafpool futilely dashed beside him, trying to calm him enough to make sense of his panic, but the warrior was clearly far from a stable state of mind and she couldn't keep up with his erratic dashes. The tom hurled himself into a corner of the hollow as the few warriors that had not left the camp on patrols rushed out to see what was wrong, curling tightly into the stones as he shook from pure fear, still yowling nonsense as he threw frantic glances at the entrance as though the badger army had returned to attack. Brambleclaw had never thought he'd see a cat go insane, but he was almost sure that that very situation was unfolding before him.

Leafpool was at the fear-stricken tom's side in an instant, stroking his shoulder comfortingly as she mewed soft words to him. Brambleclaw crept close to the two, nodding at the warning glance Leafpool threw his way. He raised his tail to halt the other cats that had begun to come forward to inspect the situation. As he got closer, Firestar bounded down from Highledge in a single powerful leap, hurrying to Brambleclaw's side. The clearing was painfully silent; the only sound was the ragged pants that ripped from Dustpelt's chest as his eyes gazed somewhere far away.

Firestar and Brambleclaw slowly padded towards the medicine cat and the frightened warrior, settling themselves beside the two. A a pained tremor shivered through Dustpelt's body and it was then that Brambleclaw could see the wicked scores raking down the side of the warrior's body, oozing fresh blood that trickled down his pelt to drip into a small pool that had formed next to him.

The fur along his spine shivered as he noticed the gashes were all in a neat line, as though they came from a single swipe of a giant paw.

Firestar bent low to the ground, whispering something to Dustpelt in an attempt to calm him. Suddenly, the warrior bolted upright from his crouched position, staring hard at Brambleclaw as though he had just noticed the tabby warrior's existence. Brambleclaw flinched under the warrior's hard stare, but could not prepare himself for the hoarse whisper that came from the warrior.

"We were just walking- he said wanted to talk- and we started talking about you, Brambleclaw. I said you had become a fine warrior, like your f-father, but you had your mother's warm heart and he got mad, very mad. He wouldn't talk to me after that, he just ignored me. We were over by Sky Oak and h-he saw a mouse," He stumbled through his words quickly, sides heaving as he began to stare past the deputy and the leader at a horror unseen to the other cats, "he started stalking it, said 'This was a waste of time' and took off after the mouse. I-it happened so quickly, they came out of nowhere…" he trailed off, panting. Firestar leapt to his paws, fur bristling.

"Who came out of nowhere? ShadowClan?"

"No!" the warrior choked, "StarClan, no! They were rogues- monstrous rogues! Three of them leapt down from the trees and this she-cat- Rockfire, 'Kill him, Rockfire!" they had yelled- she leapt at him and ripped his stomach open. I was about to help him, but this c-cat! StarClan help me, he was like a blackened warrior of LionClan, Firestar. H-he came after me and I ran, I had to run or he would have killed me for sure, but he caught me once, but I had to keep running." He panted painfully, his mews choppy with pain and fear. Suddenly, he stilled, turning his gaze gravely to Brambleclaw, his eyes going cold with sorrow and fear.

"He's still out there, Brambleclaw."

Brambleclaw leapt to his paws before his mind truly registered what he was doing. He was yowling as he hared towards the tunnel, yowling for warriors, any warriors, to come with him. The gravity of the situation was suffocating and he knew that if Dustpelt's descriptions of the intruders were correct, the ashen warrior in the forest could be hanging by a thread of life. He yowled, charging through the entrance, not glancing to see which cats were charging through behind him. He knew the encounter with Dustpelt had lasted only a few seconds, but it felt as though he had wasted hours listening to the tom and, no matter how vile Ashfur acted towards him, he did not want the warrior to die.

Casting a quick glance over his shoulder, he felt comforted by the presence of the legendary warrior's fiery pelt as Firestar ran beside him. He noticed Brightheart, and Brackenfur had followed as well. He sent a frantic prayer to StarClan to protect them, but sent thanks that no apprentice had bounded after them. He had a dreadful feeling in the pit of his stomach that this was no battle for an apprentice.

The cats raced to Sky Oak, pelts tingling as the towering old oak loomed above them. They burst into the clearing beneath the old tree, casting wild eyes to the group of cats near the other side of the clearing and freezing at the scene before them.

One was a dark-furred she-cat, her pelt mottled heavily with patches of brown and black that, beneath the shadowy cast of the trees above them, it almost seemed as though she were a shadow moving along the forest floor. Her long, bushy tail lashed as she whipped her head around to snarl at the newcomers, her powerful shoulders flexing in a way that made Brambleclaw feel the need to flex his own wide shoulders. Her dark eyes were shining with rage for their interrupted meal, teeth gleaming red with the blood that matted her muzzle. As the warrior's pelts began to bristle, she let out an abnormal hiss that sent shivers down their spines.

The other two shadows beside the she-cat were obviously younger, but were obviously littermates. Both were dark-furred, only a shade away from black with legs that were noticeably nearly as long as Spiderleg's, despite their age. They had wide-set ears that were laid flat against their head that reminded Brambleclaw of the flying creatures that could be seen flitting through the trees at night. His eyes shot to the tom as he give a hiss, noticing his bright violet eyes. His tail curled as he glanced at the female with her burning, blood-red eyes. Both were unusual and frightening with their hard, cold stares as they bared bloody fang and claw at the warriors.

Brightheart let out a wail of dismay at the bloody cat that lay torn open beneath the three cats.

Firestar was the first to charge past the intruder's frightening looks, yowling a battle cry as he led his warriors forward. Brambleclaw snarled, bounding towards the cats with his eyes set on the large she-cat. A glint of something akin to mirth danced through her expression and she curled her lip at him in a cruel laugh as a shadow descended upon the charging warriors. A black mass of muscle and fur landed a mouse-length in front of him, and Brambleclaw yowled in surprise as he crashed headfirst into the broad, furry chest of the enormous cat. He had barely a moment before a paw swung into his side, swatting him like a fly into the bracken bush two fox-lengths away. He lay dazed before another cat thudded on top of him, shaking him back to life. He opened his eyes to see the rusty ginger fur of Firestar against him. Carefully shifting his leader back onto his paws, he whirled to charge again but froze at the sight of the new enemy.

Fear struck through Brambleclaw at the sight of the giant, realizing this cat was what Dustpelt meant by a dark warrior of LionClan. He was easily larger than Brambleclaw, his night black pelt was like the wide stretch of Silverpelt without the fiery light of their ancestors to light it, only a striking tuft of gray fur nestled onto his chest disturbed the dark expanse of fur. His long, lean legs were nearly taller than Brambleclaw alone; the paws at the end of each strong leg were larger than he could have ever dreamed a paw could be. Muscles rippled beneath the bristling black fur as his long, powerful tail lashed as he stared at the cats with one black eye. The other eye was a chilling white beneath a painfully violent scar that stretched across the side of his face, marring his features in a frightening way.

The large cat's glare was trained on Brambleclaw as he noticed that he was the first cat to have made it back to his paws, the other ThunderClan warriors still struggled in a daze from where they had been slung through the air by the massive warrior. Accusation and fury burning in the cat's eyes as he curled his lip in a snarl, "How _dare_ you, you fox! Were you intending to attacks my kits and mate? Spring in while they're feeding and kill them? Was that your plan? I will shred your bloody fur from your bodies for planning such a treacherous thing!"

He couldn't help but glance at the other three cats, noticing the large she-cats flicker of annoyance at being called his mate as she stepped away from Ashfur's body. He felt a bristling pelt brush his own as Firestar stood, finally recovered from the heavy blow he had received.

"You call us treacherous as you stand there _devouring_ one of my warriors? Leave from ThunderClan territory, or we will force you to leave." The fiery leader spat, taking a paw step forward towards the cats. Yowls of agreement arose from the other side of the clearing where Brightheart and Brackenfur stood bristling as well. A laugh shook from the black intruder, a dark rasping laugh as he shook his head. The mottled she-cat came to stand next to him, her voice smooth as she purred at the warriors around them.

"We will do no such thing. This place is crawling with cats, just the way we like it." She hissed, dragging her tongue across her lips as though she had bitten into a juicy piece of prey. Firestar yowled, charging forward along with the others as the battle erupted in the clearing.

Brambleclaw charged at the large cat, darting to the cat's side in an attempt to take the large tom by surprise. The warrior simply raised a single paw and batted him to the side with tremendous strength, winding Brambleclaw and throwing him against a tree. He took in a breath only to gasp in pain. He looked at his side at four deep puncture wounds from where the cat's long curved claws had torn straight through his pelt and into his flesh in a single quick, clean motion. He'd never fought against such raw strength and devastating power before.

He glanced quickly over to his companions to see Brackenfur fighting the twin cats with difficulty. They fought well side-by-side with carefully planned attacks and maneuvers, almost seeming to blur into a single cat at times. The ThunderClan warrior couldn't land a single blow as they darted around him, seeming to glide on their paws as they ducked into the shadows to disappear before leaping and attacking. As Brackenfur spun around to attack on of the cats, the other would dart from the shadows to attack his back as the other disappeared.

He glanced over at Brightheart as the two she-cats battled. He could see that the scarred warrior wasn't faring well against the unfamiliar cat's fighting moves. The vicious she-cat stood on her hind paws as though it were second nature to her, walking confidently towards Brightheart with slashes of her forepaws, skipping over her attempts to knock her off her paws with skillful hops.

He was snapped from his observations as a monstrous paw scooped him off the ground and flung him into the air like a mouse, thudding painfully onto the ground. The cat loomed over him, raising his paw for a second strike, but halted, screeching as Firestar launched himself onto the cat's back, sinking his teeth into the cat's ear as he clawed his wide back. The cat's black and white eyes blazed with fury as he reached a paw around to hook wicked claws in Firestar's pelt, ripping his leader from his back and slinging him into the ground. The cat reared back for a crushing blow when a screech of pain cut through the sounds of fighting. The cat froze, balancing back on his haunches as he whipped his head around to see that Brightheart had darted away from the mottled she-cat and had struck against the twins as they attempted to overtake Brackenfur. Her surprise attack on the violet-eyed cat caught him off guard and he lay on the ground, struggling to his paws as blood welled from an open gash in his flank.

A rumbling came from the giant cat's throat as cold rage spread through his features. As he whipped around to face back to Brambleclaw, the clearing exploded in the intruding cats' anger.

The red-eyed she-cat became wild, driven into an impossible rage as she hurled herself at Brightheart. The ThunderClan she-cat fell beneath the small cat's rage as she clawed and bit with the power of six warriors as she protected her sibling who was limping painfully away. Brackenfur's gaze darted between the retreating cat and Brightheart's yowls of pain before he darted towards the limping cat. He was bowled over, however, as the dappled she-cat howled her fury.

She knocked Brackenfur over, but the warrior's larger size gave him the chance to roll her onto her back and pin her down. Just as he began pummeling her soft belly with his back paws, she gave a powerful yowl and slid her hind legs between them. With a tremendous kick, the she-cat sent the senior warrior flying from her. She bounded over and open her jaws wide, the long fangs glistening just before the disappeared between Brackenfur's shoulders, he yowled as she began crunching and grinding her teeth farther down.

She was suddenly yowling as well as Brightheart appeared and bit deeply into her back leg. The two young cats had disappeared, leaving Brightheart free to assist the bracken-colored warrior. The she-cat yowled with rage as she ripped her leg free from Brightheart's jaws, raking her claws against her face before she limped away from the two bleeding clan cats, hurrying over to where the twins had appeared near a bramble bush. She bent over the violet-eyed cat as he lay on the ground, panting heavily as he sister crouch over him. The larger she-cat sniffed his wound before shooting a dark hiss at the warriors, looking to where the massive cat was and catching his eye. The two nodded before the large warrior whirled with impossible grace for his size and descended upon the cats.

Once again, Brambleclaw was knocked off his paws as the shadowy cat attacked him. He flew into Firestar, the strength of the strike propelled them into a tree as the great black cat leapt towards them, picking Firestar up by the scruff and shaking him like a piece of fresh-kill. Brambleclaw launched himself at the cat, but froze as the ton dropped his leader and turned to face him.

He was looking into the face of death.

The giant tom's muzzle was twisted and contorted in a tight snarl and his black eye danced with wild fury, burning with a rage only thought possible by the great warriors of TigerClan. His scar was scrunched and twisted as his jaws moved furiously as he screeched with anger, slapping Brambleclaw to the ground with impossible speed. Brambleclaw yowled in pain as the shadowy warrior raked his claws down his spine.

But as quickly as the attack had begun, it was over. The black cat was suddenly about a fox length away from the clan cats, his face still twisted with rage as he glared angrily at them. His muscles quivered as he snarled.

"If you had known what was best for you, you would have run. But you stayed and fought like the foolish kits you are. You will pay gravely for injuring both my kit and my mate. Now you and your pitiful _clans_ in the forest will pay the price." He growled, his deep voice rumbling like thunder.

"Remember this you dim-witted kits, fear the names of Icetail," the she-cat rasped, brushing her tail across the massive warrior's side, "Shadowhorse and Shadowbat," brushing her tail carefully over the red-eyed cat and then her injured purple-eyed twin, "and Rockfire." She hissed, shaking her own pelt.

Icetail's lips curled into a mocking sneer, his eye glinting as he stared down at the fallen warriors, "Remember us. We will be the downfall to your almighty clan. You see what I alone did to your precious leader; just think of what I could do to your family and friends."

The great tom growled at the four before stalking over and picking up the purple-eyed cat by the scruff of his neck as though the half-grown cat were a small kit. The young cat hung limply, too tired from his injuries to protest. Then, they were gone, like shadows vanishing under a light, nothing but the rippling of the fallen leaves and young cat's pool of blood showed that they had even been there.

Brambleclaw shakily stood on his paws, heaving a painful breath that shuddered his frame. His muscles screamed with agony as he stepped forward towards his leader, who was lying on his side breathing heavily. After many painful steps, he was standing beside Firestar, rasping a tongue over his ear. The fire-colored cat stood slowly, reassuring Brambleclaw that he was okay. He glanced towards Brightheart to see her helping Brackenfur to his paws as well, wincing at the nasty scratches on her face and sides.

"Brambleclaw, check on Ashfur, he needs the attention more than I do." Firestar murmured quietly, gesturing with his tail towards the bloody warrior. The tabby warrior nodded, limping over to the blood covered mass of gray fur. He sucked in a painful breath as he realized the warrior was still alive, his blue-eyes rolling as he focused on Brambleclaw.

"Brambleclaw, the cats…cannibal cats …it hurts…" He rasped pathetically, pleading to the cat he once despised with hope, praying he would not die. Brambleclaw was shaken with the pain in the warrior's voice, trying to keep his eyes away from where the cats had taken large, bloody chunk from his sides.

"Don't talk, Ashfur. We'll have you to Leafpool in a minute." He choked, calming the young warrior. He looked over to Brightheart, the least injured of the group, his eyes pleading her to quickly get Leafpool. Brightheart nodded and raced away, seeming as if her paws were carried by the wind. Brambleclaw looked down at the cat that was once his rival and enemy, now reduced to mewling in pain like an injured kit.

He prayed silently to StarClean to keep Ashfur from their ranks for a while longer as he felt Firestar and Brackenfur join him beside gravelly injured warrior. No cat noticed their paws sinking into the blood-moistened leaves that surrounded the gray warrior.

Brambleclaw glanced at Firestar and in that instant; Brambleclaw felt like a scared kit as his entire world collapsed from the look on his clan leader's face. Firestar was the legendary warrior, the cat who had taken on the most fearsome threats to the clans and come out alive. Yet, beneath his grave expression for his warrior, there were waves of emotions swimming in the legendary cat's face, the knowledge that chaos and horror awaited his beloved clan.

Brambleclaw knew this entire ordeal would end horribly, that black tom called Icetail was positively massive. The only cat he could think of that had been larger than the black tom was the Sharptooth that he and the other cats on the sun-drown place journey had battled. Icetail was not quite as large as the vicious mountain cat, but he could only help but wonder if the cat had somehow descended from one. He could only guess where the tome had come from, wondering if he had other companions or relatives that large somewhere. The strength of just one of the Icetail's paws had sent him flipping at least two fox-lengths through the air, and Brambleclaw was above average size of most clan cats. What that power could do to a younger warrior or apprentice…

Brambleclaw shuddered at the thought. And that she-cat, Rockfire, she was almost as equally dangerous. She obviously was an experienced fighter like the other. It seemed terrifying that this broad-shouldered dappled cat had been able to overpower a powerful warrior like Brackenfur so easily. It seemed impossible that any cat's teeth could do that damage, but the wound between Brackenfur's shoulders reminded him of a dog wound. He noted that the she-cat also seemed to have great strength in her legs, seeing as a single kick had blown the warrior clear across the fighting area and her impressive ability to battle on her hind paws.

Then there were those two peculiar twins, Shadowhorse and Shadowbat. They were young, it seemed, but their eyes seemed to gleam with some strange unknown force. The purple-eyed cat, Shadowbat, had a calculating look in his eye, one that seemed to see his enemy's move just before it was made. The red-eyed she-cat, Shadowhorse, seems to be the main fighting power between the two; when her sibling had been injured, she had went into an insane fit, clawing and throwing her weight towards whichever enemy was closest. They had a plan of attack, ducking and weaving like water together, dashing into the shadows to surprise and regroup with alarming speed.

He shivered as he remembered that the large black tom had called them his children. How large would these to become? Would they become as large and strong as their father? Or would they just have his speed and strength?

As Brambleclaw parted his jaws to scent the air to remember the rogues scent, he became confused. He sifted through the scents of blood and forest, but could only scent the cats around him. Then, the realization struck him like the massive tom's paw as he noticed a slight twinge to one of the scents.

They left a scent barely distinguishable from ThunderClan.


	3. Crossing Paths

_**Author's Note:**__ Just as a note, if anyone thinks that Dustpelt's hysteria in the previous chapter was exaggerated, just think…how would you feel if you and your friend were walking down the street and some insanely scary people appeared out of nowhere and started eating your friend before a GIANT leapt out and started chasing and attacking you?_

_That's what I thought. And the same goes for Icetail's size; I've seen plenty of cats that would make a dog think twice before chasing it. In fact, Icetail was inspired by a cat named Randal that I met when I volunteered at my local animal shelter. So anyone going 'OMG, this girl has no sense of reality LOL', please hush. I'll work on getting some reference pictures for my cats made at some point in time._

XxXxX

It was dark.

Brambleclaw felt sick on his paws as he made his way through the dark thorns that lead to the ThunderClan camp. Silverpelt had fallen across the sky long before the tired warriors had finally managed to safely carry the gray warrior back to the safety of the hollow and every cat felt sick with fear and weariness. Every shadow seemed sinister and no cat dared to venture out alone, terrified after the story of the horrific encounter near the Sky Oak had swept through the camp.

It had been well past sunhigh before Leafpool had managed to get Ashfur to a semi-stable condition, but every cat knew that the warrior's life still rested in the paws of StarClan. Firestar had called for as many warriors he could spare from guarding the camp to protect Leapool and Ashfur as the medicine cat work furiously to save his life. Brightheart lay collapsed in the clearing, exhaustion stilling her paws from her constant running back and forth between the Sky Oak and the camp to retrieve herbs and cobwebs for Leafpool.

Cloudtail hunched over her, licking her pelt as his blue eyes darted suspiciously to every shadow within the clearing, unwilling to leave his mate so vulnerable in the clearing with the terrible creatures lurking the forest. Whitepaw sat crouch next to her mother and father, eyeing her mother's cobweb dressings as pale pink seeped through the sticky binds and shivering from the leaf-fall chill, but unwilling to leave them alone.

Brambleclaw tiredly followed Birchfall and Spiderleg as they carefully carried Ashfur to the medicine cat's den, taking as much care as possible not to jostle the injured cat. Ignoring his body's protests, he quickened his pace to hurry ahead, using his body to push aside the tendrils draping in front of the den to keep the prickly vines from brushing against the warrior's dressed injuries. Birchfall grunted his thanks as they picked their way in, laying the gray cat in the nest next to where Brackenfur lay heavily covered with cobwebs, his slumbering form twitched in what Brambleclaw could only imagine was a nightmare of the previous battle as the senior's face twisted with pain. Brambleclaw made to wake the agitated warrior, but stopped as mew sounded behind him.

"You fought well, Brambleclaw." Firestar sighed, sitting next to his deputy, stiff from his own injuries. He twitched his tail as Brambleclaw shook his head, his eyes downcast as he remembered the battle.

"I felt like a helpless kit in the battle, Firestar. I could do nothing against that…that _monster._" He murmured, shoulders falling defeated as he turned to look at the great warrior beside him. The truth roiling in his mind squeezed his heart as he threw his pride to the darkest corners of his mind. "If it weren't for you, Firestar, Icetail would have killed me."

He flinched as a soft chuckle rumbled from the ginger warrior, shame setting his ears on fire before his old mentor brushed his tail along his side comfortingly. Firestar stared at his injured warriors that filled the medicine den, the chuckle choking in his throat as he rasped, "I believe he would have killed us all, if it has so pleased him. And perhaps he will, in time come."

Shock clawed Brambleclaw's heart at the defeated tone his leader spoke in. Firestar had sounded as broken and tired as Bluestar had before the dog attack, as though he had lost all hope and was afraid to watch the clan he had worked so hard to make strong be slaughtered. The tom's gaze soon hardened back to that of the proud, unstoppable cat as a fearful wail trembled through the camp from the nursery. Ferncloud's fearful wails had echoed through the hollow throughout the day after she had heard of the news, voicing every clan cat's emotion. Both toms leapt to their paws in surprise as the darker shadow of the hollow came alive with thrashing, the drugged form of Dustpelt set alive by his mate's wails. Just as quickly as the thrashing had begun, however, he stilled into his herb-induced slumber.

"I think I will retire for the night. Get some rest, Brambleclaw," Firestar mewed, lifting himself stiffly to his paws as he turned to exit the den, "StarClan will have to walk with us if we hope to save our clan."

XxX

"I will _devour_ every cat within that damn hole that they call a home!" Shadowhorse yowled, her tail lashing as she paced furiously before the twisted cavern of roots that her family had settled in. She whirled with an irritated hiss, raking her claws down the tree's exposed root to leave long scores that wept a fresh, earthy smell. Snarling with her still pent-up anger, she returned to pacing as she kept her eyes on her slumbering brother. Fire burned in her when she caught sight of the gash that raked down Shadowbat's side and hind leg and it was all she could do to not charge to the camp herself and maim the ugly she-cat that had marred her beloved brother.

Rockfire had placed a sharp smelling plant into the gash, licking his wound until it had stopped bleeding before she chewed the dark, fleshy leaves to smear into a pulp across the wound. The sharp-tempered she-cat had left stalked deeper into the forest a while ago, searching for other foul plants to smear on her brother's injury.

Shadowhorse could not complain, she could never deny that she felt strongly for the she-cat that had taken the role as her and Shadowbat's mother when the fox-hearted cat who had birthed them fled the day she and her littermate had opened their eyes. If it had not been for Rockfire's single kit dying from a weak heart, the dark cat may have not taken to two in and nursed them. She knew little about the mottled cat's past, but she was thankful that Rockfire's seasons of living alone before meeting her father had also given her the knowledge of countless plants. Her knowledge of which plant could best heal sickness or wounds, which plant could soothe a bellyache, and which plants would kill a cat in mere heartbeats had saved their lives many times over throughout their travels.

A rustling in the treetops stopped the red-eyed cat's angry movements as a shadow landed nimbly beside her, turning to give her an affectionate lick. She ducked her head, swiping a paw over her ear as she eyed her father indignantly. Icetail's sides rippled with a purr of amusement as he sat next to his kit, dropping the three squirrels he had been carrying by their tails and reaching out with a large paw to nudge her side.

"Honestly, Shadowhorse, you make enough racket to scare every bit of prey from here to the mountains, cat and critter alike." He meowed, dropping to a playful crouch as she swatted his paw from her side, wiggling his haunches before leaping at the smaller she-cat. Shadowhorse scrambled out of the way, twitching her whiskers at her father's playful mirth. She flashed her father a playful warning which was returned with a tail lash as the black cat edged forward. Her previous rage forgotten, she howled a playful battle cry as she launched herself onto her father's back, scrambling to crawl over onto his stomach as he attempted to roll on top of her. She stood crouched on his soft, round belly as he bent his head to look at her, his scarred face brightened with playful energy.

"I swear, Icetail, for all that fur you ripped earlier today, you honestly are just an overgrown kit." Rockfire mewed around the leaves and roots she carried as she landed neatly from the tree tops beside the two tussling cats. Flicking the large tom's muzzle with her tail as she padded past him to the roots where Shadowbat lay, she set about setting down the different items she had picked up with a careful eye. Icetail rolled to his paws as Shadowhorse hopped away from him, bounding to where the she-cat stood sniffing the injured cat beneath the tree.

"You're in a good mood, my dear Rockfire." He purred as he crept close the she-cat, brushing his tail against her side as she roused his drowsy kit to administer the herbs she had collected. He bent to give his son a lick between the ears as he blinked awake before turning his attention back to the cat next to him. He would never deny the affection that welled in his chest for this cat that had saved his prized kits from sure death, despite her more than obvious rejections of his courtings.

She flicked her ear at him as she chewed a fleshy black root into a pulp before spitting it neatly onto one of the thick leaves she had spread in front of her, idly swatting away his tail. He promptly returned it to her side, ears perking at her calm, cheery mood. "Dare I ask what gives us the pleasure of seeing this splendidly rare mood of yours?"

"Those pathetic kits in that stone bowl are mewling in fear and it does my old heart good to see it." She purred, nudging poppy seeds to the violet-eyed cat she was tending. She nodded as he licked them up before she turned to the fresh pasty pulp she had just chewed to spread on his gash. "I took a peek in from the branches over their camp and they are absolutely petrified! They're all crying about the 'monster' and the 'cannibal cats' roaming their forest. _Their _forest, Icetail! These idiotic, selfish cats are so afraid that I bet their young ones will be wetting their nests with fear tonight. And get your tail off of me, Icetail, I have no need for games tonight." She finally snapped, shoving the large cat away from where he had sidled up to her side to brush his pelt against her thick fur.

Icetail leaned back, feigning hurt at the cat's sharp tone to hide his disappointment on her quickly souring mood. She snorted, turning away from Shadowbat once she was satisfied with her work. Icetail took a sniff at his son's wound as the young cat drifted back to sleep. "What did you put on it? I know I've smelled it before."

"It's comfrey. One thing these flea-bitten cats have going for them is this forest, herbs here are flourishing despite the season." She meowed, fluffing her fur against the night's cold. Her mind drifted to the morning's fight as she bent to chew a second comfrey root, the throb from her hind legs reminding her of her own wound's need for tending after climbing through the branches of the chilled forest.

She despised the cats that they had battled today, particularly the scarred she-cat that had injured her leg and Shadowbat. Her fur began to slowly bristle as she remembered the young cat's yowl of pain and the ugly cat's look of triumph as she tore her claws through his side. Though Shadowbat was not her true son, he helped heal the pain that every mother feels with losing a kit and she would protect him with her last breath. She would be sure to keep an eye out for that warrior, or perhaps either the white tom or young she-cat that she had seen lingering next to the scarred cat when she collapsed in the small hollow the cats called home. Surely the tom was her mate; if she ran across him in the forest and was in a good mood, she would only wound him cripplingly instead of killing him. That is, only if she had fed well before the encounter…

Her mind drifting on the topic of the she-cat's mate as she licked the poultice into the wound on her leg, Icetail's comment from the morning snapped into her mind and sent anger rippling through her.

"Hey!" She hissed, whirling around to face the larger cat from where he lay sprawled on a pile of crisp brown leaves, the last dregs of her good mood brushed aside. His head snapped up, the fur along his spine pricking as he eyed the bristling cat stomping towards him. "You filthy, no-good, worm-eating-!"

Her climbing yowl of profanities cut into a screech as she leapt towards him, claws glinting in the moon's light as she stretched out her forepaws to meet his back. Icetail's eyes widened as he scrambled from his nest, sending a plume of the dead leaves into Rockfire's face. The she-cat faltered, landing awkwardly as the tom put distance between himself and his wheezing attacker. Fur fluffing out to add to his already impressive size, he eyed her as her wheezing fit subsided.

"What have I done now?" He groaned, rolling his eyes as she snapped her head up to glare at him. He hissed as she sprung at him again, swiping with claws unsheathed a breadth from his nose. He crouched, launching himself on top of her, bowling the spitting cat onto her back. He leaned heavily down on her hind legs, knowing one of her powerful kicks with the right aim could have him limping for days. The dappled cat howled as she squirmed beneath his body weight as he pinned her down, spitting in his face.

"I am not your mate, you blind, worm-eared badger!" She hissed, lashing her tail against the ground before heaving against the heavy cat. A breath whooshed from her as Icetail pushed down onto her, grimacing down at the angry she-cat beneath him as any earlier affection that had been glimmering for her slipped to the back of his mind.

"You're seriously just now ruffling your pelt about that? I like you better when you don't think; at least then you don't remember stupid things to yowl your head off about." He sneered, hissing as she suddenly hooked a hind leg around his leg, raking claws through his fur. He rolled off of the screeching cat, whipping around as she half rolled, half jumped at him. The two fell in a screeching whirl of claws and teeth.

Shadowhorse sighed, watching the two older cats as they howled and hissed obscenities at one another in their scuffle. She glanced over to Shadowbat, checking to make sure her brother was still asleep before rising to her paws. Their make-shift nest was too noisy and all she wanted was a bit of peace and quiet after all the noise she had suffered earlier in the day.

She turned, trotting briskly past her father and Rockfire as she meowed her pardons even though she knew that they fell upon deaf ears. Shaking her head at the ridiculous tempers of the two cats that she knew she would never get used to, she disappeared into the bracken with a wave of her tail.

XxX

Brambleclaw blinked awake, glancing dazedly around as he tried to understand where he was. He caught sight of a thick ginger pelt next to his and the warm, milky scent around him made him realize that he had fallen asleep with Squirrelflight in the nursery. Distantly, he remembered stumbling through the bramble tunnel to the queens' den, sharing tongues wearily with his mate. He turned his attention to his mate and saw that her fur had not been licked nearly as thoroughly as his own pelt had been, warmth spreading through him as he realized his mate had continued to groom his pelt long after he had drifted to sleep. He stood, leaning over to give his mate a gentle lick before turning to leave out the entrance.

Silverpelt met his gaze as he slipped from the nursery, fluffing up his pelt as a chill breeze drifted through the hollow. Dread itched in his pelt as he thought of the upcoming leaf-bare and the shadowy cats that stalked their territory, knowing that the intruders were not going to make the harsh season any easier.

He made his way slowly towards the camp entrance, enjoying the slight tug of the thorny tunnel as he decided that he needed a moment outside of the enclosing stone walls. The memory of the monstrous cats remained fresh in his mind and he knew that a walk alone in the forest was not the safest idea, but he felt his paws pulling him from the camp. Nodding at Cloudtail from his guard post, he padded into the undergrowth, knowing full well that the white warrior might have hesitated to let him leave the camp alone if he wasn't deputy.

Padding quietly through the forest, it was surprisingly easy for him to imagine that there were no cannibal cats in the forest as the leaf-fall-crisp breeze pulled the familiar scents of ThunderClan and woodland through his fur. He could almost believe that his clan was safe, his mate soon to bear his kits in the safe-haven that they called home and his leader strong and healing well from his old wound inflicted by his own half-brother, Hawkfrost. StarClan had promised them peace within their forest for seasons to come.

The peaceful image was swept away as he stepped awkwardly on a fallen branch, sucking in a deep breath as he twisted his puncture wound from Icetail. The image of the scarred warrior sent a chill down his spine as he remembered the strength of the cat, the feel of a single paw slamming into his side was terrifying. Instantly, every shadow in the forest became sinister shapes, shifting and crouching in preparation to attack.

Brambleclaw stopped, lowering his head as he struggled through a shaky sigh to calm himself. He was the ThunderClan deputy, for StarClan's sake, and yet he was shaking like a lost kit in the forest. Steeling his shoulders, he padded briskly on for a few paw steps before he stopped. His lifted his muzzle to taste the air, catching just the barest scent of the old Twoleg place. He hadn't meant to go this far into the forest and, with a quick spin, he made to make his way quickly back to camp.

His paws turned to stone at the sight of the crimson eyes searing through the undergrowth.

XxX

The look on his face was absolutely delicious.

Shadowhorse curled her tail with amusement as the broad-shouldered tabby froze as he turned, knowing that he'd seen her. She didn't really care that she'd been seen; secrecy was no longer a priority since he and his clan had discovered them. She had seen the amber-eyed cat as he drifted through the forest and set it about herself to follow him. He would stop at times and she was sure it was because he had finally scented her, but he would just let out a whispering sigh before continuing on. Originally, she had begun following him as he began heading much too near to her family's nest for her liking, but realized that the cat was simply wandering aimlessly beneath the silver moon light.

But now he had seen her and the look on his face tempted her to draw her tongue across her lips as though she could taste his fear. She was silently impressed by how quickly he recovered from his shock, taking a step towards her as he fluffed out to fur to double his size. She noted that the warrior's size was impressive, but he was dim-witted if he believed that he could intimidate her with size when she had been born to a cat the size of Icetail. She sat, curling her tail neatly around her paws as she met his gaze evenly.

"It's a lovely night to be out, isn't it?" She purred, tilting her head up to glimpse the moon between the reddening leaves of the forest. Watching out of the corner of her eyes, she noticed him falter in his intimidating approach, obviously put off by her relaxed reception of his actions. He eyed her warily as she turned her head to face him fully, a spark of delight shivered to her paws at the anger that bubbled beneath his cautious eyes. She watched as that anger slowly built, drowning out the wary fear in his face as he slowly curled his lips in a snarl.

"You, you're Shadowhorse!" He hissed, his ears flattening against his head as he crouched close to the ground, tail lashing with agitation and rage as she twitched a smirk at him. Cockiness flooded through her at his obvious hesitation to approach her, filling her paws with a little hop as she stood. She pranced her way around him, enjoying how he kept his eyes trained on her. It was fantastic to have an older cat watching her so carefully, like she was a dangerous lick of fire dancing its way towards him. She wouldn't attack this cat on her own, not away from the reinforcement of her family, but she would definitely have a moment of fun toying with him.

"Why yes, how pleasantly observant of you!" Shadowhorse mewed, stopping a few paw steps away from him, relishing his quick back step from her. She hopped forward, receiving a spit from the large, bristling tabby. This was absolute fun! She wiggled her haunches with excitement, sneering at him, "It's just little old me."

She crouched close to the ground, mimicking him as she stared into his amber eyes. Suddenly, quicker than she could really catch, realization flickered through his expression and his muzzle curled into a grin. Taken aback by his sudden change of demeanor, she lowered her ears as she leaned back defensively. Her playfully teasing mood evaporated as he suddenly stood, squaring his shoulders as he stared down at her. While he was not nearly as large as her father, she had to admit that his size was intimidating this close. She hissed as he leaned forwards towards her.

"Why yes, it is _little_ old you.


	4. Capturing the Demon

"Put me _down_, you mouse-eyed, worm-tailed coward!"

Brambleclaw huffed as he quickly tromped through the woods, the young cat's scruff held tight between his teeth. He struggled with the additional weight as he hurried through the woods, glancing warily at every shadow to check for Shadowhorse's family as she howled her anger. The trek was rough and noisy; her weight slowing him down as he tried to keep her back paws from brushing the ground, despite her desperate scrabbling. He only grunted in reply to her demands.

It had struck him as the young she-cat had stupidly frolicked in front of him exactly how small she was. Despite her advanced fighting skills, she was perhaps only the size of a young apprentice and a great deal smaller than Brambleclaw himself. Courageous with this knowledge, he leapt on top of her, flattening her against the ground before grabbing her by the scruff and hauling her into the air. She scratched desperately at the ground with her back paws, trying to catch a stick or something that would cause the older warrior to trip and fall. He worked to avoid tripping on her whipping tail as he hurried to the ThunderClan camp.

"I'll rip your throat out with my teeth the second you put me down, you fox!" She snarled, trying to reach around with a front paw to claw his muzzle. A single claw clipped near his nose, the sharp pain making his eyes water. He gave her a sharp jerk, snorting as the breath was knocked from her. She hissed, but didn't try to claw at his muzzle again.

She stayed silent except for the occasional hiss when he jostled her, tired from battling against him. Her paws slowly stopped scratching at the ground, hanging limply as exhaustion began to overtake her. Brambleclaw was thankful for the easier traveling, trotting a bit faster as the scents of home began to reach him. Suddenly, a threatening yowl rang out in front of him and he caught sight of Cloudtail bristling in the mouth of the tunnel. He stopped though, as he caught sight of Brambleclaw and Shadowhorse, jumping as the tunnel behind him shook wildly with charging cats.

"Cloudtail, what- Brambleclaw!" Firestar exclaimed, skidding to a halt with Birchfall and Spiderleg bristling behind him. His eyes darted down to Shadowhorse as the young cat hissed tiredly at the flame-colored cat, eyes widening in realization. He spun, pushing the others back into the tunnel to make way for Brambleclaw.

The broad shoulder tabby thrust his way into the tunnel, ignoring the angry protests that the young red-eyed cat bellowed. Apprentices stared wide-eyed with wonder and curiosity as the young cat's noise turned the attention of the entire camp towards her. Firestar shooed them away, directing Brambleclaw up to the leader's den where Sandstorm stood, watching the group with narrowed eyes. They made their way quickly up Highstones to the den, leaving behind the buzzing energy of the curious excitement outside.

Brambleclaw dropped Shadowhorse roughly in the back of the cave, ignoring her spitting hiss as she curled back against the wall. He rolled his eyes, tired of the she-cat's constant sour mood. Firestar and Sandstorm watched her with stony stares as Brambleclaw made his way next to them, creating a firm line to block the exit of the den. Shadowhorse's eyes darted quickly between the three larger cats, shrinking further back as she curled her lip in a display of defiance.

"How _dare_ you treat me like I'm some squalling kit, carrying me through the forest like some mouse! I'll have your tails for this, I swear it. I'll chew them right down to the bone!" She snarled, tail lashing and eyes blazing. Brambleclaw wouldn't admit it, but the hard stare of her molten eyes sent chills through his paws. She fluffed up her fur, exhaustion and entrapment making her wild as she hissed, "My father will kill all of you, just you wait."

Brambleclaw and Firestar started at the mention of the monstrous black cat. Sandstorm's posture grew stiff as well, but not to the degree of the two cats who had battled the great creature.

"Why have you come to our forest?" Firestar spoke low, eyes boring into Shadowhorse as the fur on his shoulders began to bristle. His eyes glinted angrily as she scoffed at him, scowling at the fire-pelted leader with an incredulous look. She curled her lip as she relaxed, picking her way over to Firestar's nest of moss. Brambleclaw hissed, ready to pry her from his leader's bedding but halted at Firestar's shake of the head.

Ignoring Brambleclaw's threat, Shadowhorse, kneaded the moss slightly before plopping herself down with a sigh. Crossing her paws daintily in front of her, she focused a pitying stare on the three in front of her, her face seeming moons older as she studied them.

"You cats are so selfish, you know that? 'Our forest' this, 'our forest' that! Cats lived in this forest seasons upon seasons before you lot even dreamed of settling here. And why has my family come here? You already know the answer, it's because this place is _crawling_ with you cats. And you should already know the answer, if your little mouse brains can truly comprehend it…" She flicked her tail casually, giving her shoulder a long, smooth lick before turning to look the three cats calmly.

"We are here to eat you." She cooed low, eyes glowing as she sank into the shadowy corner of the den. Brambleclaw's fur stood on end as Shadowhorse's dark confession echoed off the stones; her haunting eyes searing into his own. He could hear Firestar and Sandstorm's low hiss as a smirk curled its way across the young cat's muzzle, but he could not tear his eyes from her own as she laughed deep in her thin chest. Her eyes seemed to expand and deepen, melting into pits of fire that threatened to snatch him, her awful laughter filling the den and ringing through his ears as it became howls of pain and fear. Wails of grief echoed through the den as the howls grew louder, sending terror ripping through Brambleclaw. He whipped his head around, searching for his leader's reassuring face, but Firestar and his mate were gone. He spun around, realizing he was in the shadowy hollow of the camp with terrified cats darting through the dark space in panic. Chest tightening, he spun, hissing as his paws slid across the warm, slick earth. Glancing down, the ground was washed with blood, frothing where he had tramped the newly marshy ground. Wailing in fear, Brambleclaw made to run but, the moment he looked upwards, a monstrous shadow loomed over him, gnashing teeth bared in a howl as a massive, thorned paw swung to meet his head-

"Brambleclaw! Brambleclaw, what's wrong?" Sandstorm's panicked pleas shook him from the horrifying vision. He was lying on his side beneath the sun; Highstones warm beneath his fur as the she-cat stood worriedly over him. An echo of laughter drifted from Firestar's den where Brambleclaw could just make out Firestar's silhouetted figure in the mouth of the den, casting worried glances over his shoulder towards his mate and deputy.

Brambleclaw sat up slowly, groaning as his stomach churned with nauseous as his head spun. He braced himself with his paws, head down as he tried to calm his stomach. He squeezed his eyes tightly shut, gulping deep breaths before he carefully glanced up at Sandstorm. "What happened? I don't…how did we get outside?"

"You collapsed in some kind of attack when Shadowhorse started laughing. You started wheezing, so Firestar and I decided it'd probably be best to get you out into the open air. Are you all right? Can you stand?" She fussed worriedly, nudging the tabby's thick fur as he struggled to lift himself up.

"I'm fine, don't worry." He mewed, brushing his tail across her side reassuringly. His leader's mate had come to be almost motherly towards him since Goldenflower died moons ago. He sat up slowly, drowsy and nauseous from his fit. The visions he had seen slowly melted back, sending chills down his spine as he remembered the monstrous creature that had leapt towards him at the end. Sending a glance towards Firestar's den, from which the laughter had stopped, he knew for certain that the monster in his vision had been Icetail.

He made to move towards the den, but Firestar suddenly reappeared from the dark mouth of the cove. He shook his head, barring the tabby's way. Glancing around his leader's flame-colored shoulder, he could just barely make out two red eyes glinting dangerously from within the shadows.

Snapping away from her hypnotic stare, Brambleclaw shook himself lightly, trying to forget the trailing whispers of his nightmare-ish vision. Solemnly, he looked to his leader's downcast face, heart-sinking at the warrior's expression.

"What are we going to do with her, Firestar?" Brambleclaw asked, wishing for a hopeful answer from his mentor. Cold claws gripped his belly as Firestar's normally brilliant green eyes pierced his, dull and filled with worry.

"We are going to pray, Brambleclaw. All we can do is pray to StarClan that her father does not come."

...

Shadowhorse lay curled in the back of the warm, dark cave. This den would normally be a dream-come-true for the young cat to sleep in, but it was nothing but a jail cell for her at the moment. Her tail sent the moss and bits of feathery scraps from the nest flying as she thought angrily of the way she was carried through the forest by the large tabby. Her shoulders were absolutely sore from the way her scruff was pulled taut after her many moons of not being carried. The soreness only caused more rage to bubble in her stomach.

She could see the hulking brute in the mouth of the den now. His body broke the thin slivers of sunlight that slipped into the cave, darkening the den. His back was to her, but she could see his ears pinned back, listening to every rustle and murmur she made. She hissed threateningly, getting little delight from the immediate stiffening of his body as he whipped his head around, studying her with a sharp, amber eye. His tail swept the ground, lips curling in distaste towards her as he turned back around. She noted his ears still swiveled painfully back towards her.

She could hear leaves rustling as a soft breeze slipped through the hollow outside of her prison cell. The breeze drifted softly into the den, bringing the tabby's scent towards her. He smelled like the forest and leaves that cloaked the camp, reminding her distinctly of her own family's scent.

Her nose twitched as another scent drifted in, mingled with the tabby's scent. The warm, milky smell reminded her immediately of her earliest days of life when she was curled up next to her brother against Rockfire's warm belly. It was the scent of kits and she immediately knew that he must have an expecting mate. Her body relaxed as she remembered her days in the nursery with her brother and Rockfire, warmth tingling in her tail tip as she longed for her family.

Anger swarmed her once more, snarling as she glared at the tabby's back. If it weren't for him, she _would_ be in a warm den, curled beside her brother. She and Shadowbat would be exchanging tongues as they listened to Rockfire and Icetail softly bicker outside the den before they finally would come in and curl around the two young cats. She could imagine her father's rasping tongue gently soothing her to sleep as Rockfire's purrs would echo through their den and the longing made her sore and upset. She forgot any feelings of warmth and could only imagine ways to hurt the horrid cat that dragged her to this prison. Angry and hungry for revenge, an immediate, vile thought to agitate the tabby sprang to her mind. Gray fur fluffing out and eyes glinting dangerously at the thought, she relaxed; crossing her paws daintily in front of her as she cooed just low enough for the tabby to hear her.

"Alright, you big brute, if you're gonna keep me here, the very least you could do is tell me your name," she purred, watching as the fur only his spine rippled at her voice. He turned to glance at her over his shoulder, eyes wary and angry.

"It's Brambleclaw," he huffed, turning back to face out away from the cave.

"Brambleclaw, huh? You've got a mate, don't you? You smell like kits and milk," she continued silkily, enjoying the immediate stiffening his body took, a single, Amber eye glaring back at her through the darkness.

"How about this, Brambleclaw. Once the moon rises, you let me stroll right through the exit of this stink pit and I won't _eat_ those darling kits of yours!" she laughed, a wicked grin spreading across her muzzle as he yowled. She could see his silhouette whip around in the mouth of the den, his hissing echoing through the caves. She hissed in return, gleefully bracing herself for a quick fight as she planned a way to dart away from him and escape. Brambleclaw, however, was quicker than she had planned and she was suddenly slammed into the wall of the cave. Wheezing for a moment to catch her breath, she jumped to her feet, hissing and screeching angrily. She jumped at him, claws outstretched as they began to claw at one another. She caught him well in the side, hissing triumphantly before he nicked her ear. She whipped her paws across the tabby's muzzle, eyes darting to the large gap between Brambleclaw and the wall of the cave. With one last swipe, she dropped to the ground and rolled through the gap, taking off with a streak as Brambleclaw's yowl echoed after her. She just reached the mouth of the den when a sudden flash of fire dropped in front of the cave. Terrified of the sudden burst of flame, she wheeled back into the cave before she realized that it was the clan's leader, Firestar.

Angry at being tricked by the tom's fiery pelt, she hurled herself towards him, screeching angrily. Another cat suddenly appeared next to him, the two raising their paws to bat her back towards Brambleclaw. She hit the ground with a thud, winded from the powerful strike. Brambleclaw leapt on top of her, eyes wild and angry as he raised a massive paw, claws unsheathed for a crushing blow. Scratching desperately, she gave an ear-splitting yowl before terrified cries erupted from outside the cave. Every cat froze as pained howls echoed from the sounds of warrior battle cries. Shadowhorse's heart lifted when a deafening demand rocked the camp, ignoring the cats around her as the roar rose above the cries of fear and pain from outside.

"Give me back my daughter!"


	5. Why Did You Do It?

_Rather short chapter. Sorry I haven't uploaded in a while, it's just…ugh! Life has been going everywhere! I was busy trying to wrap up high school and deal with work and now I move in to college this Sunday. So yeah, I've been a little busy lately. But, here's a chapter for you guys who have been patiently waiting for a new chapter._

_Read, Review, and Enjoy!_

* * *

_"StarClan help us!"_

Cries echoed through the hollow, begging for help from the starry warriors as the black monster tearing through the camp. Leaving Firestar in the den with Shadowhorse, the tabby deputy had dashed from the cave and stared in horror at the scene below him. Warriors bravely charged Icetail as he swept through the camp, but the monstrous cat knocking cats to the side with well-timed strikes. The black cat's head twisted from side to side, looking upwards and locking eyes with Brambleclaw, icy eyes burning into the deputy's amber ones before he twisted and hissed, turning to bat the brave young Berrypaw who threw himself at the larger cat. The young cat rolled from his paw, sliding beneath the larger cats belly and clawing at his side. Icetail roared, anger rising as he spun in attempt to catch the quick apprentice. Berrypaw, seeming to realize the rising danger, turned to put distance between himself and the cat, but took his step a second too late.

Brambleclaw's paws were frozen, despite the tightening in his chest as he watched his own apprentice flip through the air. The young cat landed with a dull thud, groaning before his consciousness drifted from him. Icetail stood over the apprentice, paw raised for a killing blow before he swung his head to the side, seeming to gain interest elsewhere before stepping away from the immobile cat and stalking towards the nursery. The black cat stood at the entrance of the bramble thicket, sniffing before stopping to hiss as Brightheart and a group of apprentices filled the tiny entrance tunnel. Daisy's fearful wails echoed from inside the entrance and Brambleclaw's heart tightened at the thought of his mate trapped inside as Icetail towered over the group stand guard over them before Cloudtail launched himself at the giant warrior's hind leg.

A vicious laughter drifted from the cave behind him as Firestar dashed past him. Brambleclaw's attention was snapped to the side as the fiery warrior leapt from the peak of Highledge, soaring through the air to land on top of the black cat who was currently locked in a tussle with Stormfur and Cloudtail. The three cats swarmed Icetail, dragging him to the ground as he struggled beneath the three toms as the four of them melted into a frenzy of colored furs. The laughter drifted from the cave once more, catching Brambleclaw's attention once more. With a snarl, he turned and charged into Firestar's den, bowling the hysteric she-cat over. The breathe whooshed from her lungs as she buckled beneath tabby, hissing as he raked his claws across her side. She raised herself up and dug fangs into his thick throat fur, but was quickly shaken and swatted away from him. Rage fueled the deputy as wails of pain echoed through the camp, his amber eyes wild with anger as he tore into smaller cat. He viciously snagged Shadowhorse's scruff, giving her a sharp shake that left her dazed and wheezing, blood welling from her wounds and filling the air of the den with its heavy stench. The tom, normally hesitant on wounding such a young cat so drastically, had no reserves as he dragged her across the cave floor onto the top of Highledge, head clouded with the heady scent of battle and blood. Dropping her roughly, he stamped his paw onto her throat, eliciting a choking rasp as he caterwauled into the hollow.

Icetail's black eye snapped up to him and froze, eyes locked to the sight of Shadowhorse beneath the tom's paw. His momentary stillness left him open to Sandstorm's attack as she ripped into his side, causing him to sidestep away from where he had been standing over Firestar with his teeth bared for a crushing bite. Firestar lashed out with his hind legs before he rolled, leaping to his paws as he and his warriors circled around the black cat. Icetail stumbled as blood began to drip from the vicious belly wound, but he paid the warriors around him no attention as his sight remained trained on the enraged tabby above. The hollow fell silent except for pained pantings and hisses from the warriors. Icetail lashed his tail angrily as he turned to make his way towards Highledge, "Let her go, or I will-"

Brambleclaw's angry hiss and Shadowhorse's gasping cough cut him short, however, as the deputy responded to his advance by grinding his paw into the she-cat's throat. The massive tom froze, worry flickering across his face. Rage quickly replaced the worry, however, as he grudgingly stepped back. Brambleclaw lifted his paw slightly from his captive's throat, her choking coughs filling the follow as Brambleclaw locked eyes with Icetail, amber eyes burning furiously as he addressed the intruder.

"Leave our camp, Icetail, or I will kill her where I stand." He hissed, unsheathing and pricking her throat ever so slightly with his claws. A fearful mewl crept from her throat as she locked eyes with Brambleclaw, turning her head carefully to avoid his claws to meet her father's eyes. Icetail froze, breath hitching before his muscles bunched beneath his fur. He spun before any cat could respond, dashing from the hollow.

Energy remained taut within the hollow as cats held their breath, listening to the giant crash through the entrance and into the forest before an angry screech echoed back to them through the forest. An icy silence settled over the clan in a choking blanket. Firestar, fur still prickling across his shoulders, stepped tensely to stand where Icetail had stood seconds before. Brambleclaw's heart sank as he watched as his fierce leader hung his head, staring silently at the trail of bloody paw prints that lead from the camp. Squaring his shoulders, he stood straight with his head high, any hopelessness and defeat gone from his eyes. His eyes took in the still forms around his camp at the unconscious warriors and apprentices before stopping on the ones who still stood before him. Glancing up to his deputy who had released the pressure from Shadowhorse's neck, leaving her panting on her side from her wounds, they shared a hard look before Firestar turned to his warriors.

"We will help our wounded for now, but this was a victory for us. We will not allow this rogues to simply storm our camp and do as they please!" He thundered, met with a chorus of agreement from around the camp. His attention turned as Leafpool bounded from the medicine den from where she had been treating those with wounds who had been able enough to seek shelter in her den, beginning to check one of the fallen cats. "I want those able to help Leafpool with the injured. Others will help in guarding the camp."

He paused, stepping to one of the bloody paw prints. Raising a paw, he swiped through the bloody mark, scoring the ground with his claws, "He will be back, but now, ThunderClan, we can be sure…"

"Even this monster bleeds."

* * *

A quarter moon had passed and wounds were licked, but the battle with Icetail still fresh in the mind of every ThunderClan cat. No cats had been too terribly hurt, but a good deal of warriors walked with a limp. The medicine den had emptied since the battle, Dustpelt walking freely and stable within the camp once again and warriors in no need to treatment. The only cat who remained in the lonely den was Ashfur, whom Brambleclaw checked on every so often despite their past. The cat could only eat and drink the barest of amounts, his ruined body filled with pain when he attempted to consume any more. Leafpool had whispered to Firestar and his deputy that his internal injuries were simply too much from him to recover for. It made the tabby sad to think that all they could do for the warrior was to make his dying days as comfortable as possible. When the news had been passed to Ferncloud, the queen had simply curled in upon herself, mourning for her dying brother.

Brambleclaw sighed, curling himself closer to his mate's thick, warm fur as he kept her company in the milky den. The soft mewls that trembled between them made his heart flutter with pride as he raised his head from Squirrelflight's fur as she shifted to allow the three tiny kits between them to latch to her belly and suckle. Lionkit, Jaykit, and Hollykit had finally arrived, their lives bringing a shimmer of light within the clan. Brambleclaw purred in amusement as the largest, Lionkit, shoved his tiny brother to the side in attempt for more space. As soon as the golden kit had done this, it almost seemed as though tiny striped Hollykit mewled in reprimand before scooting over to give more room for her brother. Purring with amusement, he stood and gave his mate a quick rasp between the ears before making his way outside of the bramble-enclosed den and out into the chilling camp. Leaf-fall was was fully upon them and the fresh-kill pile appeared smaller with each passing day and apprentices kept themselves amused by tossing the crunchy, colorful leaves about. If it weren't for the guard post set in front of Firestar's den, the deputy could almost imagine that it was a normal time for the clan.

Longtail and Mousefur sat out in the feeble sunlight, soaking in the small amount of warmth that they could from the sun's rays. Mousefur was obviously telling one of her tales to the young Cinderpaw as she worked carefully to remove the ticks from the elder she-cat's fur. Longtail piped in a comment that made Mousefur wrinkle her nose in distaste at the blind warrior as the young apprentice broke out into laughter. Catching Mousefur's eye, he called a greeting as he passed by them on his way to the fresh-kill pile.

Picking a small shrew from the pile, he carried it towards Brook and Stormfur were sharing tongues. Settling next to his old friends, he tucked neatly into his meal as they engaged in small talk. He listened as the two conversed over the fact on if a guard should be sent with the medicine cats tonight on their trek to Highstones to share tongues with StarClan. The thought had not even crossed the tabby's mind and he made a note to speak to Firestar about it before Leafpool set out to meet the other medicine cats. Even though he knew none of the forest's cats would attack the medicine cats, he could not say the same for the newcomers who could be seen stalking through the forest as the cats were sent out to hunt, their eyes burning with anger and cruel intentions.

Swiping his tongue across his muzzle, he excused himself from the two and made his way towards the leader's den. Stepping carefully up the path to Highledge, he nodded to Whitewing at her perch in front of the entrance to the den. Dipping her head back in response, the young warrior stood to leave the guard post to the older cat. Before leaping down, she glanced back towards the camp prisoner with a slight glimmer of worry, "She's been quiet all day, only asking to go make dirt a little bit before sunrise. She still won't allow Leafpool near her to treat her wounds, though. If she doesn't soon, I don't know how much more of a fuss she'll be able to make when she's fallen ill. I can smell the infection from here."

Brambleclaw, surprised at this, parted his jaws slightly to scent the air within the cave. Sure enough, the sour stench of infection brushed across his tongue. The infection was young, but he could tell that, without treatment, the young cat would face a crippling sickness in a matter of days. Hot guilt curled in his stomach, knowing that he was the one who inflicted wounds such harsh wounds upon her. He knew that some of the injuries he had given her in his rage had been unnecessary and, despite her blood-stained history, he felt sick at the idea that the end of such a young life would be on his shoulders. As he stared into the den, he could see Shadowhorse curled tightly in the nest that she had claimed as her own. She really couldn't have been any older than perhaps seven or eight moons, but her small body was already riddled with scars. The guilt began to dissolve away, however, replaced by a low-burning anger as he thought of the countless cats that had given her those scars in mere self-defense as she and her family had moved in for an unspeakably terrible crime. A sliver of guilt still churned his belly, but he knew that Shadowhorse and her family were monsters.

A sudden intake of breath accompanied his realization of her name. _Shadowhorse_. It was a clan-given name! All four members of her family had names similar to the clan system, different from those of the cats of the Tribe of Rushing Water that he and the other had met on the journey to the Sun-drown place.

With this knowledge, a strange feeling bubbled up inside him. He hoped, maybe, her family and the clans could come to a peaceful agreement due to their obvious link to a clan. However, the more he entertained the idea of his clan getting along with the cannibals, though, the more ridiculous the hope seemed.

"My, my, what a surprise. How nice of you to visit, Brambleclaw."

In his musings, he hadn't noticed Shadowhorse as she roused from her nap, raising her head from her paws. Her soft voice spooked him from his thoughts, causing him to jump as his fur stood on end. He turned his head to notice that Whitewing had leapt down the stones, leaving him sitting in front of the cave entrance alone. The small cat chuckled drily at the larger tabby, standing up to stretch painfully. Brambleclaw wrinkled his nose as the stronger scent of her infected wounds washed through the entrance of the cave. The guilt slowly crept back into his stomach as her face twisted in pain, lowering herself with a heavy thud as she lapped at the water-soaked ball of moss next to her. The sharp red wound on her side smiled angrily back at him as she drank, the small wellings of sickening pus curling on the edges stood out glaringly from her gray fur.

"You really need to let Leafpool treat your wounds, Shadowhorse. That infection will kill you if you keep refusing her help." Brambleclaw urged, hoping the small she-cat would simply comply and allow the medicine cat to check her over before leaving for her journey to Moonpool. Shadowhorse's deep amber eyes met his own, anger welling beneath them.

"If you hadn't been such a brute, I wouldn't have these in the first place! I've met badgers gentler than you. Granted, your idea of using me to stop my father from attacking your camp was quick thinking, but I think you mauled me merely for your own pleasure," She spat, the fur on her shoulders bristling with anger. Her stubbornness and the growing guilt from her words tore in to Brambleclaw. Huffing, he pushed back the guilt and stood, fur bristling angrily.

"I have a warrior dying from you and your family attacking him for…for such sick reasons, and you dare try to act as though I'm in the wrong for inflicting wounds upon you? At least we are offering you help, you ungrateful piece of foxdung! He has received all the help he can, but he is due to die any day now. Instead, Leafpool is turning her attention to helping _you_, the monstrosity that did it! We are feeding you, giving you shelter, and offering treatment for your injuries and you spit in our face. I should have killed you when I had the chance, your family probably would have thanked me eventually if you're this much of an ungrateful brat to them as you are to us!" He hissed, teeth bared as his eyes bored in to the younger cat's. Hurt flashed across her features, her ears dipped back as she pulled herself from his amber gaze.

"I-, well I don't…" Her voice trembled, sadness and pain making her falter. Without another word, she curled in on herself once more with her back to the entrance of the cave, a light sob shivered through her side. Brambleclaw's anger sifted away as he took a deep breath to calm himself, the scent of the infection touching him once more. Sighing, he turned his back to the cave and turned his face to the cloud-dotted sky, wondering why he felt so sorry for this young cat.

* * *

_Hmmm, yeah. There you go. Brambleclaw's feeling a little guilty, but how's everything going to play out?_


End file.
